The present invention relates to project management and the like and more particularly to a method and system to gauge and control project churn.
In planning projects, such as software development projects or the like, attempts are made to identify the multiple tasks and subtasks that may be required along with an estimate the time that may be required to complete each of the subtasks and tasks. Proper and accurate planning are important so that projects, particularly complex and time critical projects, can be allocated the proper amount of resources so that the project can be efficiently completed in a time and cost effective manner. However, numerous, frequent and often unplanned changes to a project and the project's schedule can occur for one reason or another. These changes in a project's scope and other variables can be common on some types of projects, such as software development projects or similar projects. Such changes whether identifiable or unplanned may be referred as project churn. Project churn, particularly unplanned project churn can result in a huge and usually undocumented and under-appreciated toll on otherwise well planned project resources. The result can be a “shadow project load” that can be tantamount to having an entire extra project. Under these circumstances, the project often has to be completed without an allocation of additional resources and without recognition of those who have to expend extra effort to successfully complete the project. Such unresourced or under-resourced projects can impact efficiency, resource allocation among projects competing for limited resources, quality and morale. In some situations failure to account for project churn may even jeopardize the successful completion of the project.